App Metrics, Not Web Metrics

Raj Aggarwal, CEO of mobile app analytics firm Localytics, wrapped up OMMA Metrics with insights into mobile app trends and metrics. Android and iOS have outstripped other app platforms in
growth, with the latter still the dominant player. Android tablets are converging around 7-inch screen size regardless of manufacturer -- a positive situation for developers.

Aggarwal
says Android fragmentation is overstated -- if developers focus on most pervasive Android devices, their apps will reach the vast majority of users. When it comes to HTML5, he says pure HTML5 apps
are still far off, although hybrid apps are growing. Companies need to use app-like tools to build apps with the Web-based format.

App engagement varies by category -- new titles have the
longest sessions, while games have shorter bursts of use between different activities. Looking at app measurement, Aggarwal points out that apps can’t be reduced to a series of page views, like
a Web site. They have unique IDs instead of cookies -- they change over time and can be more difficult to track. Web methods cannot be applied to app measurement.

App measurement leaves much to be desired, mainly because the folks trying to measure apps are bringing the mindsets of previous media to them. This happened with web metrics as well and continues to plague many well-intentioned brand marketers.
There are really only a few key metrics that matter with apps:
- Installs
- Monthly active users
- Session time
- ARPU
- Likelihood of user to rate the app 5 stars
Lots of other numbers can be tracked and are useful for tactical analysis and a deeper understanding of usage behavior, but these key metrics get you to the core of the business every time. The last metric is an important, but often underutilized metric. The reason it's important to understand how likely the average person using your app is to rate it 5 stars is that it's a concrete Net Promoter Score. In our work with app developers, we find that this metric is the best predictor of long-term app discovery and engagement.
Robi Ganguly
www.apptentive.com